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There are DNA Test Kits available, where you can do a oral swab, send it off, and in a few weeks, get a nice report on the consistency of your Dogs Ancestry. I used the Wisdom Panel Test, and you can see the information on it at...www.wisdompanel.com

Now, you're probably going to hear some "comments" on the accuracy of this type test. But, technology rules, and at some point, the “Nay Sayers” are going to be compelled to yield to Empirical Data.

There’s a difference between an animal being Purebred (Pure Blood Line), and having Provable Lineage or Ancestry !

My intent was to verify if my animal was Purebred. To validate that it had an uninterrupted bloodline of, and only Yorkshire Terrier. DNA Testing does that.

If you wish to verify the Lineage of your Dog, then pursue the “Paper Trail”, via your Breeder, AKC, DRA, UKC or the Parent Club Documentation. This too can also be called Ancestry, and these two methods “should” be complimentary, not exclusive. Just because a Breeder can document that their animals have been registered through AKC or another agency for several generations, does NOT mean they are Purebred.

Wisdom Panel are not the only tests available, nor do they cover every Breed. One can get some very intensive Test done (which cost more) that go back farther than the number of generations that Wisdom does. Be sure that any test you select, meets the requirements for your Breed of Dog, and how far back you would like to see the Blood Line documented.

Also, cost may be an issue. Wisdom generally retails for about $70, but, if one looks around, it can be had for less when on sale. Got mine for $50. A good search phrase would be “canine dna test kits”.

When they get the analysis done, Wisdom gives you an Ancestry Certification Certificate. which looks like this...i246.photobucket.com

Metaphorically speaking:
Lineage (the Paper Trail) tells you of the Trunk and its Branches.
DNA tells you if the Leaves are all the same color.

I wouldn't do a DNA test, they aren't very accurate. I've seen Lab mixes who are the size of Labs turn up as Collie/Chihuahua/Flat Coated Retriever/Pug mixes. They're not accurate at all in my opinion. I've yet to see an actual positive, realistic breed match come back from a dog.

Anyways, Smoke looks to be an Australian Cattle Dog/Jack Russell Terrier/Rat Terrier mix.

Member 930032
answered on 11/14/11.
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Unlike Sneakers, I feel that Mars needs to work out a few kinks still with their Wisdom Panel test- I've heard many reports of purebreds and dogs of known ancestry (crossbreds) being tested (just for fun) and coming back with incorrect breeds. Also, they seem to return results with astronomically rare breeds in them too much of the time. I used it on Bruno and it told me he was 50% Chihuahua, 25% each Shar Pei and Scottish Deerhound. The Deerhound is an extremely rare breed, typically less than 200 of them are registered per YEAR in the whole USA. There are probably less than 1000 total alive. So how likely is it that one is running around loose and siring mixed-breed puppies? (Bruno looks NOTHING like one, btw.)

I think your Smoke is a Australian Cattle Dog (Heeler) mixed with Chihuahua or Miniature Pinscher, looking at his slight build and huge ears.